Kim and Rediat shared more than red hair; they shared a zest for life—a sense of “razzle-dazzle,” as Kim might say.

Rediat Bayeh, a member of the Green Academy’s class of 2011, and her mentor, Kim Miller-Hershon, were a great match from the start. “She and I were like two little peas in a pod,” said Kim. “It was so natural and easy. We had rapport right from the very beginning.” Rediat agreed, “My mentor is so similar to me that it was so easy and so much fun to work with her.”

When Kim learned about Starting Blocks last summer, the timing was just right. She had recently started her own consulting business and, with some extra time in her schedule, thought the program would be a “great way to give back.”

Rediat and Kim enjoy each other's company at the last mentoring session on June 9, 2011.

In no time, Kim had attended a mentor orientation and been paired with Rediat. In addition to serving as a mentor, Kim also signed on as a volunteer facilitator for two of Starting Blocks’ in-class workshops. The first workshop, on following your dream, took place in September and was designed to help students think about how their talents, ideal environments (physical and social), and dreams could align in their career paths. “I’m so passionate about it,” shared Kim. “I really wanted them to get an idea of what was possible for them, maybe in a different way than they had thought about before.”

This passion contributed to dynamic sessions with the class and one-on-one with Rediat. “I see possibility in just about anything,” said Kim. “If this is what your passion is, how can we get this done for you and how can we monetize that? That’s what drives me—figuring out how to make it work for you to get up every day, love what you do and make a living doing it. In my world, it just doesn’t get much better than that.” In Rediat’s world, this out-of-the-box thinking translated to both “a very fun and productive relationship” between herself and Kim.

“She is such an engaged learner,” said Kim. “She came to every session and always had her work done. We could finish everything relatively quickly and then have the opportunity to chat with each other. Honestly, I have to give her all of the credit. She’s just such a mature, engaged young woman.”

Rediat found that her strong connection with Kim made it easy for her to stay engaged. “I enjoyed all the activities for the simple fact that Kim and I had a great relationship,” she said, reflecting on the ten mentoring sessions that ranged from resumes to taxes. Her favorite session, though? “The mock interview, because it let me see my talents and weaknesses in that setting,” she explained. It’s only fitting that Kim felt the same way. “The mock interview really stands out to me,” Kim said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God—I want to hire you!’ That was really fun.”

In the same vein as the mock interview, the program also included sessions on networking and budgeting, two other topics with which Kim has substantial professional experience. “I’m a business coach,” she explained. “There was a correlation between what we were doing and what my profession is.” It was especially interesting, though, for Kim to work with the class and with Rediat on the same subjects as she does with her professional clients. For both groups, Kim found that “budgeting was the most instructive piece.” It was a “real ‘whoa’” moment for Rediat to crunch the numbers and see how much things cost. “I thought it had quite an impact,” said Kim.

Rediat, soon starting her freshman year at San Francisco State University, will have plenty of opportunities to put her new skills to use. “Starting Blocks has taught me for the most part to utilize my resources and to ask for help,” she shared. “It was really great to be in program that teaches things that I would not have had the opportunity to learn elsewhere.”

On a personal level, Rediat and Kim felt fortunate to develop a strong sense of trust between them. “That was very special,” reflected Kim, “and I felt very honored that she trusted me to talk about her life outside of just the Green Academy.”

Asked if they’ll stay in touch? “Absolutely.”

“I was really ahead,” said Sharhonda Morgan, reflecting on life after Starting Blocks. Sharhonda, a member of Berkeley High’s class of 2010, participated in Starting Blocks during her senior year in the School for Social Justice and Ecology (now the Green Academy). As she gears up for her sophomore year at California State University, East Bay this month, Sharhonda speaks proudly of her experiences in Starting Blocks and how they helped her get off on the right foot as she entered both college and the ‘real world’ after graduating in June 2010.

Sharhonda (right) celebrates Easter Sunday in April 2011 with her younger brothers and older sister at church.

Sharhonda is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in sociology, a field of study she was unfamiliar with until a Starting Blocks volunteer gave a presentation about it. Jessica Dunning-Lozano, a Bay Area native and current Ph.D. student in sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, shared her experiences as a sociologist, advocate, and teacher in the years since completing her own undergraduate study in sociology at UC Berkeley. “It helped to hear from people what their jobs were really like,” explained Sharhonda. “That was my first time hearing about sociology.” Sharhonda was especially drawn to the field for the “many opportunities” it could afford her, from social work and criminology to education and public relations.

In the year since graduating, Sharhonda has already applied several Starting Blocks skills to life in and out of the classroom. Working part-time at In-N-Out Burger, for example, Sharhonda has seen the importance of “communicating to handle problems in the right way” and “knowing how to be professional.” She fondly remembers attending the mocktail party in December 2009, where she and her classmates practiced networking. “[Starting Blocks] played a big role in what I should expect when looking for that professional job,” she shared, from how to dress to how to engage in professional conversation.

When it comes to resumes, Sharhonda is also grateful for the resources and mentoring that she received through Starting Blocks. “With the help of Ms. Ford, my resume is really good,” she said, noting that she has been able to share her resume-writing skills with others. “I’ve been helping my boyfriend with his resume, whose high school didn’t teach anything about it. My sister graduated from [Cal State] East Bay, and I’m helping her, too.” The importance of crafting not only a well-written resume, but also a cover letter for a job application and a thank-you letter for after a job interview, has also resonated with Sharhonda in the months since graduating.

As both a student and part-time employee, Sharhonda reflected on the Starting Blocks finance workshops, as well. “When we went over credit cards, it really prepared me to get a credit card and spend wisely,” she explained, recalling the presentation by Wells Fargo volunteers about how to budget and make smart credit choices. “I understand how to use my credit card the right way,” she said.

Perhaps most importantly, Sharhonda understands first-hand the value of reaching out to her networks. Now a member of a different community, the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP), Sharhonda recommends, “Always go to a counselor.” She first learned about EAOP from a counselor at Berkeley High and now connects with her EAOP counselor for help with navigating college requirements and seeking out other resources. Recognizing that others have a lot to offer and that “college is not the place to fail!” Sharhonda is well positioned on her path toward her bachelor’s degree and beyond. We wish her all the best as she continues on this journey!

Coming of Age, a growing national initiative that helps people 50+ connect with each other and their communities through volunteerism, awarded Starting Blocks a mini-grant to conduct an evaluation.

Starting Blocks is comprised of many volunteers working both in front of and behind the scenes, offering their skills and input to help build the organization. At the same time, volunteering is a two-way street that can benefit the volunteer as much as the cause. Last October, Starting Blocks was awarded a $2,500 “Make a Big Difference” (MABD) award from Coming of Age, a national initiative to help people ages fifty and older connect with and contribute to their communities while helping organizations meet their core missions. One of four Bay Area organizations to receive this grant, Starting Blocks used it to launch a MABD team to implement a detailed evaluation of the program. The MABD team, consisting of Pam Brown, Sandra Reid, Jon Sutinen, and Alan North—with extra help from volunteers Garrick Wahlstrand and Becca Toth—conducted an evaluation that allowed Starting Blocks to better understand the program’s impact and determine opportunities for improvement.

Seeking to utilize their professional skills and expertise in a volunteering capacity, the MABD volunteers were a perfect fit for the evaluation project. The team had the extensive background in research, data analysis, and survey methodology that was needed to create, implement, and analyze the evaluation. With a master’s degree in biochemistry and psychology, Sandra understood the nature of social science research. “I was able to utilize many of my professional skills,” she explained, “and to contribute to determining the scope of the evaluation.” Likewise, Alan was a professional evaluator for many years before joining the MABD team. And as a retired academic economist, Jon has considerable knowledge and experience evaluating programs that enabled him “to assess the existing set of evaluation methods being used by Starting Blocks, and to revise them to collect the best set of data possible.”

Using their personal talents and professional competencies, these volunteers have helped contribute to the success of Starting Blocks while also networking with each other, learning new information, and discovering how service can impact their lives and the community. “I truly enjoyed working with professionals outside of my previous professional experience,” explained Sandra. “I learned how effectively a group can use contemporary technology in a team project.” Volunteering is an excellent vehicle for discovering a talent or developing a new skill, and one of the greatest benefits volunteers take from their experience is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in their community.

The MABD team members gained insight into challenges related to evaluating efforts to improve the education system, but were also heartened to see how the one-on-one attention and resources that students receive in Starting Blocks’ mentoring program can have a positive effect. “The program’s offerings are important and are founded on sound principles and data,” said Jon, who, along with his fellow MABD volunteers, expressed confidence in Starting Blocks’ impact on students. Indeed, the MABD team hopes that the evaluation effort helps Starting Blocks to expand its programs and benefits to other schools in the Bay Area.

To read more about the 2010-2011 evaluation results, visit our Evaluation page. For current volunteer opportunities with Starting Blocks, please contact us!

For photos, visit our Facebook album here.

First date: Tuesday, March 1
Second date: Thursday, March 3

For photos, visit our Facebook album here.